Learning How to Relax (transcript)
Transcript (The episode starts by taking place in Debbie's house. Then, the scene zooms into the kitchen window. In the kitchen, Maraya and her family are about to eat dinner at the table together. Debbie asks Maraya if she wants to say the blessing first) Debbie: Maraya, do you want to say the blessing for us? Maraya: Sure. (She starts to bow her head, close her eyes, and put her hands together while she is saying the blessing) Maraya (softly): God is good, God is great. Let us thank for our food, amen. Debbie: Thank you, Maraya. Now we can dig in! (Maraya starts to get her knife and fork so she can cut her meat up. She cuts one tiny piece and puts it in her mouth) Maraya: Mmmm! This is good! (laughing) (She grabs her spoon next and scoops up a spoonful of mashed potatoes so she can put that in her mouth. But when she puts the spoonful in her mouth, it tasted hopeless) Maraya: Blech! These mashed potatoes taste hopeless, but why? (She thinks about it for a second, then she looks down at her bowl of mashed potatoes and notices that Debbie forgot to make the brown gravy for her) Maraya (not seen): Oh! These mashed potatoes don't have gravy?! (then she is seen again, all mad) Debbie Wilson Harrelson! How could you? You forget to make the brown gravy for my mashed potatoes, every time! Debbie: Maraya, remember what I said last time? I said that nobody else likes gravy, except you. And please, don't call me by my full name. Maraya: Sorry, grandma. I'm just mad right now. But at least I still have my meat to eat! (She grabs her knife and fork again as she cuts up another tiny piece and puts it in her mouth. Then when she was ready to cut up another piece of meat, she notices that Debbie has mistakenly put a pea on her plate and then she gets mad again) Maraya (not seen): Hey, what's this tiny green circle? Debbie: It's a pea. And I put it on your plate because I want you to try it. Maraya (mad): What?! You want me to try a pea? But, grandma, this isn't how dinner goes for me. Debbie: I'm sorry, Maraya, but I just want you to be more versatile. Maraya (mad): But, grandma. Look what you've done to me! First, no gravy on my mashed potatoes and now you gave me a tiny green pea? Ugh! I'm mad at you for doing this to me! So mad that I'm going to scare you all away! Haley: How are you going to do that, Maraya? Maraya: I will scream, so get ready to get your earaches! (Haley, Debbie, and Steve start covering their ears, worried that they will get earaches. Then Maraya starts to scream so hard that they ran away from the table) Maraya (screaming): Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! (After she screams loudly at her family, she continues talking) Maraya (mad): That's what you get for making my dinner all wrong! (then she turns around and sees that her computer is flying beside her) What, computer? I don't need your help today, so go away! (The computer shakes itself from side to side as it gets out its computerized arms to turn itself on) Maraya (not seen): What? Then who can help fix this mistake? (The computer goes to the browser app where Ruff's program is at so Maraya can understand what the computer is saying) Maraya (not seen): Oh! You think that I should get Ruff? Great idea! Now let me get you so I can make him come to life. (After the computer flies down and is caught in Maraya's hands, she puts it down on a flat surface and starts to look at the camera) Maraya (looking at camera): Viewers, I really need your help. To make Ruff come to life, we have to say the magic spell. Say the magic spell with me. (Maraya starts to look down at her computer while she and the viewers are saying the magic spell) Maraya: Computer, computer, Let me see Ruff Let me see Ruff So life won't be tough! (After she says the magic spell with the viewers, she looks at the camera and tells the viewers that Ruff is coming to life) Maraya (looking at camera): Great! Ruff is starting to come to life! Now let's sit back down and pretend that I'm still mad so Ruff can fix my mistake! (She runs away to sit back down and pretend that she's still mad. Meanwhile, some magic dust comes out and turns into a tornado so Ruff will appear and land on the floor. Then after Ruff lands on the floor, he tries to look for Maraya as he walks over to where she is) Ruff: Hi, Maraya. What do you need me to help you with today? (But after Ruff greets her, he notices that she's mad and her back is turned) Ruff: Maraya, why do you have your back turned? And why do you look so mad? Maraya (in her own head): If Ruff is asking me that question, then I'm not answering it because of all the mistakes that grandma made in my dinner. I know first she forgot to make me some brown gravy, then she put a tiny green pea on my plate. Well, whatever. I won't answer Ruff's question. That's it! I'm gonna cry! (starts crying) Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! Ruff: Oh no! Maraya, what's wrong? Please, tell me! (But Maraya doesn't answer Ruff still. Instead, she bangs her head on the table hard and Ruff tries to get her up, but she bangs her head and lays it down. So Ruff tries again, and Maraya does the same thing as before) Ruff: Come on, Maraya. Just at least get up for Ruff. (worried) Please? (After Ruff puts his hands on Maraya's shoulder, she was still crying as Ruff says something else to her) Ruff: Okay, Maraya. I'm going to try to think of an idea on how to make you stop crying, so I'll be right back. (Ruff walks away from Maraya so he can think of an idea for how to stop Maraya from crying. While he was trying to think of an idea, some music was playing and Ruff was doing all kinds of stuff, like walking around, sitting down, and reading. The scene starts to change when Ruff finally thought up of an idea) Ruff: I have an idea! (He gets up from the floor and runs over to Maraya, who is still crying) Ruff: Maraya, you've been crying for about an hour! What am I going to do with you? (he starts thinking of another idea for three seconds) I know! How about if I can sing you a song? (But Maraya just looks at Ruff sadly as he begins singing Maraya a song) Ruff (singing): ��Oh, Maraya, stop crying, Oh, Maraya, stop crying Oh, Maraya, stop crying… Oh, Maraya, stop crying now�� (But Ruff's song didn't work for Maraya. Instead, she continues crying) Ruff (thinking): Hmmm, that didn't work. Guess I will have to think of something else to try. (He tries to think of another idea for three more seconds. Then he gets an idea) Ruff: I got an idea! (For his second idea, he tries to tickle Maraya's back with his hands) Ruff: Gitchie gitchie goo! Gitchie gitchie goo! (But he didn't hear Maraya laugh. Instead, she keeps crying on Ruff) Ruff: Wow, that didn't work either. I guess I have to think of something else, unless… (He grabs a chair and sits beside Maraya so he can think of his third idea) Ruff: Oh, Maraya. Please. Stop crying! I'll never know what's wrong unless if you tell me. (He starts hugging and squeezing her tightly while grunting. He did this until Maraya stopped crying. Then when she stopped crying, Ruff lets go of her and smiles) Ruff: Maraya! You - you stopped crying! Yay! I did it! I did it! I made you stop crying! I made you stop crying! Yippee! (laughing) (Then while Ruff was dancing and cheering, Maraya laughed) Ruff: You like that, Maraya? (Maraya nods her head happily at Ruff) Ruff: Well, I'm glad you do, because that's my job! Maraya: Sure is. (They both start to laugh together until Ruff asks Maraya why she was mad) Ruff: Hey, Maraya. Why were you mad? Maraya: Well, um…it was because my dinner went all wrong. Ruff: How did it go all wrong? Maraya (not seen): Well, first my grandma forgot to make some brown gravy for my mashed potatoes. Ruff (not seen): Yes… Maraya (not seen): And then my grandma put this tiny green circle on my plate because she wanted me to try it. (After Maraya told Ruff why she was mad, Ruff started talking about her mistakes) Ruff: Oh, yeah. I forgot that you can only eat the mashed potatoes if they have brown gravy on top, and I just remembered that time where I made you try it for the first time and you liked it. Ruff (not seen in flashback): You like it? Maraya (in flashback, thinking): I - I like it! Ruff (applauding in flashback): Yay! You liked it, Maraya, you liked it! (The flashback ends as Ruff becomes sad and sighs) Ruff (sighs): And now, look at you, Maraya. Your autism has gotten better after I helped you a lot. Maraya (sadly): Ruff, that's because…I have a better autistic life. (continues sighing) Ruff (not seen): I wonder if this tiny green circle tastes any good. (He picks up the pea off Maraya's plate and puts it in his mouth just to taste it. But when he chewed it, he made a face) Ruff: Blech! They taste like nothing! Maraya, what are these? Maraya: My grandma told me that it was a pea. Ruff: Yuck! I don't like that at all! Now let me get some water. (He opens up the cabinet to get a cup, then he fills it up with water and drinks it) Ruff (relaxed): Aaah…that's better. (He puts the cup down and walks back to Maraya, who's still sitting at the table) Ruff: Yep. I can really say that your grandma has made a few mistakes with your dinner, but don't worry, I ate the pea, so don't tell anyone that I did that to you, okay? Maraya: Okay. Ruff: Hey, Maraya? Maraya: Yes? Ruff: I think I'm about to go to my house and fix up your mistakes. Do you want to go with me? Maraya: Sure. Ruff: Okay, here we go. One, two, three! (After Maraya and Ruff get into the computer, the computer flies to a chair next to Maraya's left side of the table and lands on a chair because Debbie was coming) Debbie: Wow, Maraya didn't eat her dinner either, but at least she tried the pea that was on her plate. Maybe Maraya will come back and eat the rest when she's ready. (When Debbie walked away, the computer flew out of the chair and the scene zooms into its screen so the viewers will know what's happening to Maraya and Ruff) Maraya: Wow! Ruff, is this your house? Ruff: Uh huh. Maraya: It's great! I love it! Ruff (chuckling): Thanks, Maraya. (Maraya walks over to find somewhere to sit on while Ruff starts looking for a pot so he can begin making the gravy) Maraya: Hey, Ruff. I got a question. Ruff (not seen): What? Maraya: Do you know what to do when you're really mad? Because if you do, then you can teach me. Ruff: Why, of course I know what to do. I'll see if I can teach you. Maraya: Okay. Ruff (not seen): Now the first step is to stop so you won't make the problem worse. (he is seen again) Remember, try to keep your hands, feet, or words to yourself. (then he is not seen) You probably want to yell when you're upset, but try not to do it. Instead, try to stay as calm as you can. And if you cry, then that's okay, because that happens to anyone, especially you. Maraya: Ruff, when are we going to move to the next step? Ruff: In a minute, okay? I'm trying to teach you a helpful technique. Maraya: Okay, continue. Ruff (not seen): Okay. Like I was saying, there are some warnings. Try to pay attention to your body's signals, like hot, jumpy, shaky, or ready to burst. Those are your body's warning signs to stop. (he is seen again) If you are one of the autistics that has a temper, then it's going to be harder for you to stop yourself. But you have to remember that it's really important and you need to practice more and more until you get better and better at it. Maraya: Okay, I'll remember that. Now, I'm ready for the next step. Ruff: Alright. Now the second step of this technique is to think about what happened. And you can also do this step by asking yourself questions like "what do I need to do to stay calm?" Or "what can I do that will help the situation?", or "how do I avoid doing something that might hurt me or somebody else?" These are some questions you can ask while doing this step. And now, the final step of this technique is - Maraya (not seen): Ruff? Ruff: Yes, Maraya? Maraya: Are my mistakes fixed yet? Ruff (not seen): Almost, Maraya, almost. Just wait for a few more minutes. Maraya: Okay. Ruff: Now, the final step for this technique is to go. Remember to try to walk away and get an adult's help. And, if you're able to to calmly explain what happened, then the adult is more likely to listen and help you solve the problem. Now, Maraya. Is that technique easy for you to follow? Maraya: Yeah, pretty much, but it's going to be hard when I first do it. Ruff: Hmmm, I think you're right, Maraya. (timer rings in the background) Ruff: Oh! Looks like my timer is ringing. Maraya: Does that mean that my mistakes are fixed now? Ruff (not seen): Yes. It does. Now let's take this pot of gravy back to your grandma's kitchen so you can finally eat your mashed potatoes. Maraya: Okay. (They jump out of the computer to get back to Debbie's kitchen. Meanwhile, some magic dust is coming out of the computer as Maraya and Ruff land on the floor) Ruff: Alright, we're back in your grandma's kitchen, so now that all your mistakes are fixed, you can finally eat your dinner. Maraya: Yay! (She starts to cheer and dance until Ruff lent her the chair. Maraya sits down on the chair and he ties the bib around her neck as he puts gravy and flavoring in her mashed potatoes and stirs it up. Then he feeds Maraya the first spoonful of it) Ruff: Okay, Maraya. You ready to sample it? Maraya: Yeah! Ruff: Okay, open wide. (Maraya starts to open her mouth wide so Ruff can put the first spoonful in her mouth) Ruff: Is that better? Maraya: Yes. Much better. Ruff: Good. Now let me cut up your meat so you can eat that too. Maraya: Okay. (Ruff starts to cut up Maraya's meat until the scene changes to where he was done) Ruff: Okay, Maraya. Your meat is all cut up. So now you can eat that too! (A moment of silence occurs for a second, then he gets shocked when Maraya already ate all of her mashed potatoes) Ruff: Oh, my goodness! You ate all your mashed potatoes already? Well, I'll have to get you more. (Ruff grabs Maraya's bowl and walks away while Maraya is eating her meat. Then he sets her bowl of mashed potatoes down on the table and gets some gravy and flavoring to make it taste better) Ruff: Okay, Maraya. I got you some more mashed potatoes. So when you get done with that, then you need to eat those. Maraya: Alright. (She keeps eating her meat until the scene changes again to where she was done with it. Then she grabs her bowl of mashed potatoes and eats them with her spoon) Ruff: Maraya, I'm glad you are enjoying your dinner now that I fixed your mistakes. Maraya: Thanks, Ruff. Ruff: I will stay here until you are done, okay? Then I'll have to go. Maraya: Okay. (She kept eating her mashed potatoes until the scene changes to where she was done. Then she told Ruff that she was done) Maraya: Ruff, I'm done! Ruff: Good! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Now, I have to go. Maraya (sad): Aw…but, Ruff. I don't want you to go. Ruff: Don't worry, Maraya. I'll come back. Maraya: Oh, thanks a lot, Ruff. Now, goodbye! Ruff: Goodbye, Maraya. See you soon! Maraya: See you soon too. Thanks for helping me today! Ruff: You're welcome. And bye bye! I'll see you another time! (As he disappears into the computer, Maraya says goodbye to Ruff one final time) Maraya: Goodbye, Ruff! Thank you for helping me today! (looking at camera) And thank you, viewers, for helping me too! I could've done it without you! And now that you and Ruff have helped me today, I will now have a better autistic life. Goodbye! (While she was waving to the viewers, the scene zooms out to outside of Debbie's house. Then it fades out, which causes the whole episode to end) Characters *Maraya *Maraya's Computer *Ruff *Haley *Debbie *Steve (non-speaking) Trivia *This is the episode where Maraya threw her longest meltdown in front of Ruff. *There was one flashback and that flashback came from the episode "Trying Mashed Potatoes". *This is the first episode where Maraya mentions her grandma's name, which is known to be 'Debbie Wilson Harrelson '(read Debbie (2016 version) for more info) *This is the first episode where Maraya saw Ruff's doghouse in person. *Haley doesn't speak very much in this episode. *Steve doesn't speak at all in this episode. *Skill(s) that Ruff helped Maraya with: calming down when there was a problem. Category:List of Episodes Category:Episodes Category:Transcripts Category:My Better Autistic Life (Season 1)